Why Pierre Gasly can’t choose between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
Verstappen heads into the 2022 campaign and F1’s new🔯 rules era as the defending world champion after snatching the title from Hamilton on the last lap of last year’s controversial finale in Abu Dhabi following a titanic season-✅long duel.
Speaking to wuqian0821.com in an exclusive interview ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, AlphaTauri’s Gasly, 🎃who went up against Verstappen at Red Bull in 2019, reflected on the intense rivalry that was sparked between F1’s two heavyweights in 2021.&nꦇbsp;
“I think ๊it’s been incred😼ible for our sport,” the Frenchman said. “It’s two incredible drivers driving in two different teams and battling like we haven’t seen for years.
“I really enjoyed it as a motorsport fan before everything else. I enjoyed w𒅌atching the highlights after the races last year to see what was going on between the two.
“It’s great for our sport and it’s great to see this new generation; Max, myself, Charles, Lando and George, all coming 🍸up and we still have Lewis and Fernando [Alonso] there.
“It’s so🦋rt of combining two generations and I think that’s g𝔉reat to see.”
So how do꧙es Gasly compare Verstappen and Hamilton’s strengths against one another?
“They are both very complete drivers, which is no surprise from a seven-time world champion,” G♏asly said.
“I think Max also, compared to when arrived in F1 and the level he is performing now, he’s more c🐎omplete. And he's the world champio𒀰n, so he was the best last year.
“In terms of strength, it’s not only pure speed, it’s racing, making the best of bad days, avoiding silly situations, making cruci🦋al decisions or moves to wi😼n a race, and making sure to settle for second when you don’t have the pace to win.
“I think it’s more like looking at an overall package and both of them have🌺 been performing at a really high level.”
Gasly feels that both drivers’ per🐭formances were equally impressive throug🏅hout the 2021 season as the momentum in the title race swung back and forth.
“I can’t have a fixed view but there were certain occasions when Max was really impressive, and moments where Lewis was really impressive,” he explained.&nb⛦sp;
“But towards the end of the year with all the pressure 𝓀and seeing Max putting in really impressive laps in qualifying, sometimes like in Saudi he went over it, b𝓡ut up till that point he was very impressive and very fast, plus the way they battled.
“It’s more like specific moments where it was quite crucial for the championship a🐎nd either one or the other managed to make something [happen] to make a big impression.”&n🎉bsp;
According to Gasly, the only way to settle♕ such a debate would be to put the♓m both in equal machinery, something he would like to see happen.
“I think put both in an AlphaTauri!” Gasly joked. “I think we should mix the cars up during the season based on your last result. The one that wins gets in the slowest car and the one that is last gets the ꦺfastest car, and let’s see what happens.
“No, I think it’s a sport where obviously the car makes the mostꦰ of the result. The driver still makes an impact with the performance, but the car is a big part ♛of it.
“It’s difficult, you can’t really go with one or the other. They 🔥are both excellent.”
Lewis regularly attends Gran♔ds Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter inඣ the sport.
